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THE INTELLIGENCER, TUESDAY, APRIL 9th, 1974 gEPPMBP" i SD Boys Prove To Be Model Housekeepers By Isabel Huggan The house is newly-painted white, trim and tidy on the outside, and just as sparkling inside. Beds perfectly made, clothes hung on hangers, kitchen counters sipotless and a living room free of usual teen-age mess. Surprising, because the occupants of the house are four boys, ranging in age from 16 to 18 years old. This is Palmer House, a project of the Belleville OnSchool for the DeafT s u a e on e corner o Dundas Street across from the school. Palmer House (named for William Palmer, first principal of the school in 1870) has been in operation for six years, a place where students in their final three years at the school may choose to live for a month at a time. Until this past year, the residents have been teenage girls in groups of four. Now boys are getting into the homemaking act, and with excellent results. "Of course, one of the reasons this house is so welllt£^%^^^^ U/^^U \/7<jf kept is. uhat these boys have Helping the boys along is been in residence most of Loreen Parks, who has been their lives at this school or with the school for nine years, another," explains. No<rm but only recently started the Rickaby, Dean of Residence. job of house counsellor, one, 1 ' I n residence they've of two who "live in". learned to make their beds "They know I'm here if early in the morning, to keep they need me," she says, "but their personal effects in their the business of daily living corner of the room, and most is up to them. They do all important, to co-operate with the housekeeping. I'm useful others. for answering the phone or "The four who come to live the door bell. in Palmer House invariably "My most needed service is, get along well since they've getting them up in the decided among themselves to morning!" live together for the month. Although the boys have We don't just pick people at special alarm clocks for the randon, they choose to try the deaf, equipped with a flashing experiment. light instead of a buzzer like j "In fact, there's a waiting all teenagers they need that' list for the rest of the term!" extra maternal prodding to The boys now living in face the day at 8 a.m. Palmer House have been They make breakfast and there two weeks, long enough eat in the kitchen, their only to settle in and feel well- meal there. Other meals are established. And they like it served in the dining room, very well. where they obsQrve genteel S c o t t Thomas, Gerard etiquette. No elbows on the Kennedy, Mark Hollett and table, according to Mark. There really are very few Serge Primeau all respond positively that yes, they enjoy rules that the boys have to keeping house, even with all f o l l o w . They have a the cooking, cleaning and reasonable 11 p.m. curfew organizing that it entails. during the week, and a later one on weekends. Around-the house, they share duties on a weekly roster. One boy cooks, one helps clean up the kitchen, one cleans upstairs and another downstairs. They do their own laundry but avoid ironing. The one area where they all work together is the budget. Once a week they sit down and plan the next week's shopping list, figuring out what menus they'd like, and whether they can swing steak or not. They have $40 to spend, and how it's used is entirely up to them. If they manage to save a little each week, they can have a bang-up meal at the end of the month. The boys are hoping to order in a Chinese dinner if .all goes well. Two or three do the shopping together, and admit that they aren't careful buyers. They just grab what they need off the shelves and don't comparison-shop. But they get I by pretty well and are able to eat what they like. All the boys prefer Palmer House to residence life, and hope they can come back again. Serge says the food is better, and Mark adds that What they enjoy is being able to snack from the frige during the evening. Here they have more freedom and room to themselves, and they can have female visitors in, something not allowed in residence. They're had girls from the school as well as hearing girlfriends in for visits, much to their delight. Like other students at the O'SD the boys use visible English and some spoken language in order to communicate with both deaf and hearing. Being deaf is no drawback, they've found, to leading an ordinary life outside the school. When they leave the OSO the boys would like to live as they are now, but in an apartment rather than a house, they say, since a house would just be too expensive to care for. Scott will soon graduate in auto mechanics, and Gerard hopes to attend George Brown College in order to be a butcher. Serge and Mark are still undecided about their futures, but all the boys now know that once they are out in the working world, they'll be able to cope wth household chores. success/* Mr. Ricfoaby says, "that even kids who seemed "That even kids who seemed a little unruly in residence turn out to be stable and responsible at Palmer House. "Although their life still revolves around activities at the sdiooSUt's a good chance to experience a little independence." As the boys settle down before dinner with the sports section of the paper, they look like they've been living like this for years!